This invention relates to conveyor belts and more particularly to tear detectors for conveyor belts.
Applicant is aware of a number oa available detectors adapted to detect a tear in a conveyor belts. One such a detector comprises a plurality of tranversely extending electric conductors mounted in or on the belt, spaced along its length. At regular intervals in time, the detector applies an electric potential difference to each of these conductors and simultaneously monitors current flow through these conductors. In the event of a longitudinal tear in the belt, one or more of these conductors will normally be severed so that no current flow will be detected. One disadvantage of this kind of apparatus is that it can only detect longitudinally extending tears. Furthermore, a more severse disadvantage of this kind of apparatus is that it is very expensive to equip each belt with a suitable configuration of electric conductors for tear detection.